The Art of Denial
by TheOneYouEnvy
Summary: He did not like her, hecouldn't even stand her. He didn't like her one bit... or did he? RickxEvy T for language


**Hallo people, I hope you enjoy my story; I stayed up way later than I should have on a Sunday for this. If you manage to spot any grammatical errors then please notify me in a review!**

**Also, I would like to say that I just discovered the Mummy series two weeks ago and I LOVE it! It took me about five days to write this simply because I wrote out two rough drafts, both with just pencil and paper.**

**I also find the overabundance of OC fics overwhelming! Oh well, to each their own I guess.**

**I have also learned that my mom is a fan of Brendan Fraser (she thinks he's HOT in George of the Jungle) and that he's played in a lot of movies that I like. Who knew?**

**Anyway, onto the story.**

**Disclaimer- I do not own the Mummy series.**

**Just so you know, this story takes place around when Evelyn is taken by Imhotep to be sacrificed.**

The Art of Denial

He wasn't sure what was most infuriating about her. He ability to argue her point until you were ready to admit she was right, even if it was obvious you were right, or her stubborn nature and plans (more like schemes) that would irrevocably cause the much trouble, leaving him to be the on to save her sorry ass, or her overwhelming curiosity that seemed to cause a great amount of trouble for anyone involved in the situation (specifically him, it seemed). Or maybe, just maybe, it was the fact that, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to figure her out. Actually, the more he thought about it that seemed to be the most likely reason out of all of them. It could always be that he was just going crazy, though.

He didn't understand how she managed to get under his skin with the tinniest of efforts. He didn't understand why his heart sped up whenever she was around (or why it increased tenfold when she called his name), why he couldn't stand the idea of anyone or anything causing her harm. He couldn't even stand the idea of her being with someone else. Worst of all, he didn't want to leave her or want her to leave him for someone else. He understood perfectly well that she was not his biggest fan (not that she absolutely despised him either), that his whole purpose of being there was to lead her and her brother to that cursed place. That he was just paying off his debt to her. What he didn't understand, however, was why he didn't feel the same about the situation.

He was a terrible conversationalist, mostly because he was used to pointing a gun at anyone who managed to cross him (which was surprisingly often). He was the 'Shoot First and Ask Questions Never' type. He used to be a soldier after all. That kind of job didn't leave much room for deep conversation. Unfortunately for him, she would most likely not appreciate him pointing a gun anywhere near her. Actually he's pretty sure he would be in more danger that her in that type of situation.

He was not the smartest man on the planet, that he wasn't about to deny. She, on the other hand, could probably write a book on the complete history of Egypt single handedly (after all, Egypt was in her blood, as she had proclaimed while completely drunk off her ass). He was impressed by and respected her because of that fact. Her vast amount of knowledge astounded (yeah, he knew big words) him. If only because she could actually make history seem interesting to him (which was impressive enough in itself).

She was oddly close to her brother considering the fact that they were polar opposites. Her brother seemed to have almost no conscience whatsoever (and what little he did have didn't seem very effective) while she seemed to have a high moral code. That was another thing about her that he didn't understand, how had she turned out to be such a decent person when, from what they had told him about their childhood, she had basically been raised by her brother. That meant one of two things, either the man was, indeed capable of being responsible enough to raise his sister, or she had pretty much raised herself. He was willing to bet on the latter. Not to say that her brother had no redeeming qualities of his own, they just weren't as prominent.

Whether fortunate or not, he was a very confident man, very handsome also. He was well aware of that fact. He was also unashamed to admit that he had used his good looks to his advantage before. Along with being quite handsome he was also brave, stubborn, strong (very tall), a bit (lot) rude at times, and he could be (very) irrational at times. Okay, so maybe he wasn't exactly a diamond in the rust- more like a piece of quartz covered in dirt and grime. She, on the other hand, was like a piece of pure gold hidden and just waiting to be discovered. So maybe the whole 'treasure hunt' thing was getting to him after all (he was comparing her to a valuable metal).

She, herself, was quite brave actually. She had come to a prison in a foreign country to find him, the man her brother had pick pocketed the small treasure from. He had to admit, he wasn't exactly on his best behavior that day (he was about to be hung, how much do expect from him), nor was he looking very grand (more like an ape man). He had to give her props; she was surprisingly calm throughout the whole situation, even after he punched her brother's lights out. Hell, she was pretty calm after he kissed her (something he simply could not bring himself to regret), if not a little shocked. Unlike other women, she didn't seem to be frightened about morbid or gory things, especially if they somehow involved Egypt. In fact, she seemed to find them strangely intriguing. She told stories about people having their rains pulled with a poker by their node like it was some kind of screwed up bedtime stories. She appeared to be fearless, if not a little shaken up, when it came to the undead also. That was something that even he had trouble coming to terms with. It was time like that that he was glad to have a gun.

As previously mentioned, he was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Maybe that's why he always seemed to always say the wrong things around her. Or, you know, it could be that he was just that antisocial. Not that you can blame him, his recent social hangouts have been that foreign legion, jail, the desert- oh, and let's not forget the gallows. No more bowties or necklaces for him.

When he told his weasel of a friend about his mission (and how she had, quite literally, saved his neck) the smaller man had spouted something about him having "more balls then brains", earning him a toss over the side of a boat, free of charge. He'll admit that he might have been in the wrong when he kissed her (he still could not bring himself to regret it). Give him some credit though, he though he was going to die. He figured he deserved to do one last stupid thing without having to face the consequences.

Truthfully, if he was given the chance, he wouldn't mind kissing her again. After all, that damned walking corpse had kissed her more than he had. It would be e real kiss this time too. His reasoning wouldn't be because he was going to die and he wouldn't be behind bars. He would be willing to face the consequences of his actions this time. She wouldn't be able to complain about this kiss either, because it would be a real kiss and it would be a good one.

After all, he was Rick O'Connell, and he wasn't about to let Evelyn Carnahan get the better of him. Though he personally thought Evelyn O'Connell sounded amazing.

**Hope you enjoyed, please R&R!**

**-Maxx**


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